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| United States Patent |
6,108,821
|
|
Malsoute
|
August 29, 2000
|
Trouser belt with extensible clasp
Abstract
A trouser belt, including a single-piece band with a first and second
extremity, a box (1) fixed to the first extremity of the band, a plate
(14) mounted so as to slide within the box (1) following the longitudinal
direction and able to be linked to the second extremity by way of a buckle
pin (12), at least one serration (18) longitudinally formed on the sliding
plate (14), at least one tappet (25, 26) assembled in co-operation with
the box in a longitudinal direction and including a protruding pin (21,
22), a helical spring (24) mounted so as to push the tappet (25, 26) in a
position to lock the pin in the teeth of the serration. The mutual
longitudinal movement of the box and the plate is therefore avoided, while
pressure applied to the tappet against the pressure applied by the spring
frees the pin from the serration to allow for the mutual longitudinal
movement. A single coaxial spring (24) is implemented to at least one of
said tappet (25, 26).
| Inventors:
|
Malsoute; Jacques (1, Clos de la Petite Croix 78860, Saint Nom la Breteche, FR)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
362249 |
| Filed:
|
July 28, 1999 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
2/321; 2/312; 2/338; 2/339; 24/265BC; 24/578.15; 24/DIG.48 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A41F 009/00 |
| Field of Search: |
2/219-221,235-237,311,312,319,322,324,325,338,339,321
24/585,265 BC
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 2147619 | Mar., 1939 | Wirth.
| |
| 3466668 | Sep., 1969 | Ochiai | 2/322.
|
| 4229862 | Oct., 1980 | Kubeltka | 24/68.
|
| 5572747 | Nov., 1996 | Cheng | 2/322.
|
| 5579563 | Dec., 1996 | Sim | 24/585.
|
| 5588186 | Dec., 1996 | Ko | 24/585.
|
| 5613249 | Mar., 1997 | Ito | 2/235.
|
| 5774952 | Jul., 1998 | Ito | 25/585.
|
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0 760 218 A1 | Mar., 1997 | EP.
| |
| WO 86/01983 | Apr., 1986 | WO.
| |
Primary Examiner: Calvert; John J.
Assistant Examiner: Patel; Tejash
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Renner, Kenner, Greive, Bobak, Taylor & Weber
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A trouser belt, which includes:
a single-piece band with a first and second extremity;
a box fixed to the first extremity of the band;
a plate mounted so as to slide within the box following the longitudinal
direction and able to be linked to the second extremity by way of a buckle
pin;
at least one serration longitudinally formed on the sliding plate;
at least one tappet assembled in co-operation with the box in a
longitudinal direction and including a protruding pin; and
a helical spring mounted so as to push the tappet in a position in which
the pin is locked in the teeth of the serration, so that mutual
longitudinal movement of the box and the plate is avoided, while pressure
applied to the tappet against the pressure applied by the spring frees the
pin from the serration and allows for the mutual longitudinal movement;
and
one single spring is provided, coaxial to the said at least one tappet.
2. A belt according to claim 1, wherein the transversal section of the
spring is at least equal to half the transversal section of the tappet.
3. A belt according to claims 1, wherein the tappet has an oblong shape, in
particular a cylindrical shape.
4. A belt according to claim 1, wherein the spring is fixed, for instance
by adhering it to the tappet.
5. A belt according to claim 1, wherein two parallel serrations are
implemented face to face, two tappets, the pin each being associated to
its corresponding serration, and a unique spring mounted coaxial between
both tappets, are also implemented.
6. A clasp for a trouser belt including
a box fixed to the first extremity of the band;
a plate mounted so as to slide within the box following the longitudinal
direction and able to be linked to the second extremity by way of a buckle
pin;
at least one serration longitudinally formed on the sliding plate;
at least one tappet assembled in co-operation with the box in a
longitudinal direction and including a protruding pin;
a helical spring mounted so as to push the tappet in a position in which
the pin is locked in the teeth of the serration, so that mutual
longitudinal movement of the box and the plate is therefore avoided, while
pressure applied to the tappet against the pressure applied by the spring
frees the pin from the serration and allows for the mutual longitudinal
movement; and
one single spring is provided, coaxial to the said at least one tappet.
7. A clasp for a trouser belt according to claim 6, wherein the transversal
section of the spring is at least equal to half the transversal section of
the tappet.
8. A clasp for a trouser belt according to claim 6, wherein the tappet has
an oblong shape, i.e. a cylindrical shape.
9. A clasp for a trouser belt according to claim 6, wherein the spring is
fixed, for instance by adhering it to the tappet.
10. A clasp for a trouser belt according to claim 6, wherein two parallel
serrations are implemented face to face and two tappets and pins are each
associated to its corresponding serration, with a unique spring being
mounted coaxially between both tappets.
Description
The present invention relates to a trouser belt, which includes a
single-piece band with a first and a second extremity, and a clasp
consisting of a fixed box held to the first extremity of the band. The
fixed box includes a plate of metal assembled so as to slide within this
box following a longitudinal direction and able to be linked to the second
extremity by way of a buckle pin. The clasp also includes at least one
serration formed longitudinally on the sliding plate of metal, and at
least one tappet assembled in co-operation with the box in a longitudinal
direction, featuring a protruding pin. The clasp also includes a helical
spring assembled so as to push the tappet in such a position that the pin
locks in the teeth of the serration to therefore prevent the mutual
longitudinal movement of the box and the plate of metal. A push on the
tappet against the pressure of the spring would free the pin from the
serration and therefore enable the mutual longitudinal movement.
The present invention also relates to a clasp included in a trouser belt of
this type.
A belt of this type is already known by way of international patent
application WO 86/01983 in the name of International Watch Co. A trouser
belt of this type is also known by way of the European patent EP-0 760
218, in the name of Citizen Watch. This document mostly describes
watchstraps with a view to generalize the invention, forecast the
application of a clasp, previously described for a watch, to a trouser
belt in FIGS. 49 and 50. Trouser belts as described in the document of the
previous art featuring the following disadvantages. When clasps for
extendable watches are being manufactured, the relatively small dimension
of the watches makes for a relatively large tappet in the longitudinal
direction, i.e. in the sense of the strap, compared to the watch itself.
On the one hand, consequences of the application of this type of clasp to
trouser belts are increased material cost and increased complexity.
Notably, two springs are required, placed so as to act on the sides of the
tappet so that it remains equilibrated whilst functioning, and therefore
does not jam or twist.
In the case of the belt described in WO 86/01983, only one spring is
described. However, it takes much more room within the box and the
assembly is therefore complex and expensive to carry out.
The present invention relates to a trouser belt as previously described,
which features a structure simpler than that of watchstraps from the
previous art. On the one hand, it includes less components and, on the
other hand, it requires less material for the manufacturing of the clasp.
The structure however allows for a very stable operation of the clasp,
without incurring imbalance or dislocation of the tappet whilst
functioning.
According to the invention, only one spring is required, which is placed in
a coaxial way compared to the tappet. A simpler structure is therefore
obtained, which only requires a single spring.
According to an improvement of the invention, the transversal section of
the spring is at least equal to half that of the tappet. A particularly
stable operation of the tappet is therefore obtained without however
requiring the tappet to have a large lateral dimension relative to the
box. This is the case for watchstrap clasps as described in the previous
art, as the dimensions of a watch are so small that a sufficiently large
transversal dimension of the tappet must be implemented to enable the user
to operate it.
According to an improvement of the invention, the tappet has an oblong
shape, i.e. a cylindrical shape. A tappet with a particularly small
transversal dimension is therefore obtained, which implies a low material
cost for the manufacturing of the clasp, this dimension being however,
suitable to easily operate a single or several tappets. Were the system
according to the invention to be used for a watchstrap, the tappet would
be too small and the operating would be difficult for the user.
An improvement of the invention calls for two parallel serrations facing
each other and two coaxial tappets, the respective pins of which are
associated to their corresponding serrations, and a single spring mounted
in a coaxial direction between the two tappets. A particularly stable and
simple operating system is therefore obtained.
The present invention also relates to a clasp for a trouser belt such as
the clasp included in the trouser belt previously described.
Reference is made to the following figures, in which:
FIG. 1 is a drawing of a clasp for a trouser belt conforming to the
invention, mounted on the extremity of a band or belt, the buckle being in
a position of maximum proximity with the clasping part;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, the buckle being in a position of
maximum distance from the clasping part;
FIG. 3 is a drawing of the clasp itself with a partial internal view of the
clasping part, the buckle being in a position of intermediary distance
from the clasping part;
FIG. 4 is a view from aside of the clasp, following the arrow IV featured
in FIG. 3.
With reference to the Figures, the extensible clasp according to the
invention includes a box or clasping part 1 that can be permanently fixed
at one extremity of the belt S. The clasping part 1 features a back face 2
within which is embossed a lodging 3, designed to accommodate the belt S.
Screws or fixing rivets, symbolized by the dotted line 4 of FIG. 4, in
lodging 3 ensures the anchoring of the belt extremity S in lodging 3.
Furthermore, the clasping part 1 is equipped with a belt loop 6, on its
upper face 5, for the opposite extremity of the belt loop.
A buckle 7 with a pin 12, which is used to attach the opposite extremity
(not depicted) of the belt S, is mounted on the clasping part 1, in regard
of a forward face 8 opposite to the back face 2, so as to slide following
the belt clasping direction C or the longitudinal direction corresponding
to the longitudinal direction of the loop S. The buckle 7 includes a
U-shaped ring 9, mounted on its open side on a transversal bar 10, to
which it is articulated around a transversal axis 11. A buckle pin 12,
perpendicular to the axis 11, is placed in the middle of the loop 9 whilst
articulated to the transversal bar 10 around the axis 11 so as to
penetrate one of the perforations of the corresponding extremity of belt
S.
The transversal bar 10 features a back face 13 parallel and in regard of
forward face 8 of the clasping part 1, opposite ring 9, and onto which is
fixed a plate 14. This plate takes an oblong shape following the belting
direction C or longitudinal direction, and includes a longitudinal
extremity 15 which fits into a corresponding lodging of the transversal
bar 13, embossed on back face 13. The plate 14 is engaged in a guiding
passage 16 with a corresponding section. The guiding passage is
implemented in the clasping part 1, and the plate 14 slides following the
direction of fastening the belt C. The plate 14 and its guiding within the
clasping part 1 therefore accomplishes the sliding fixation following the
belting direction C, of the buckle 7, on the clasping part 1.
The plate 14 is equipped with two serrations 17, 18 shaped as straight
teeth (zig-zag pattern), adjacent to the two lateral sides 19, 20 of plate
14 and placed so as to face each other, in order to lock in whichever
position. Two tappets or ratchets 21, 22 are mounted on the clasping part
1 to slide opposite one another following a common axis 23, transversal to
the direction of belting direction C and so as to co-operate with
serrations 17, 18 respectively. A rappelling spring 24 is placed between
ratchets 21 and 22 to push them opposite one another and therefore closer
to serrations 17 and 18.
Ratchets 21 and 22 extend laterally to form tappets 25, 26 which are
engaged in corresponding lateral passages of the clasping part 1, and
which protrude above lateral faces 27, 28 of clasping part 1 so as to be
operated.
The ratchets 21, 22 and their tappets 25, 26 are manufactured as a single
piece with bevelled notches.
Use of the extensible clasp, as described, can take place in the following
manner. The clasping part 1 is previously fixed permanently on the
corresponding extremity of the belt loop. This extremity is received in
the associated lodging 3 and anchored with screws or rivets 4. The belt S
is passed through the belt loops on a pair of trousers, the free extremity
of the loop S is engaged in the buckle 7 for retainment and the buckle pin
12 is engaged in the adequate perforation on the belt loop extremity. To
secure the retainment and to improve the aesthetics, the remaining part of
the belt loop, past buckle 7, is engaged in the belt loop 6, and if
required, through another belt loop (not depicted), so as to equip the
belt itself near its other extremity. The section of loop between belt
loops 9 and 6 therefore, perfectly covers any in-between spacing that may
exist between the back face 13 of buckle 7 and the forward face 8 of the
clasping part 1.
If the user does not feel perfectly at ease and reflects that none of the
existing perforations on the loop enables him to achieve a fit suited to
his waistline, he may obtain a finer fit of the width by adjusting the
spacing between buckle 7 and the clasping part 1. To this effect, he only
needs to press both tappets 25, 26, which protrude laterally from the
clasping part 1, with two fingers (for instance, with his thumb and index
finger), so as to disengage ratchets 21, 22 from the serrations 17, 18 and
therefore free the sliding plate 14 and the buckle 7. When buckle 7
reaches a suitably opened position, both tappets 25, 26 are simply
released so that ratchets 21, 22 are brought back to bear on the
serrations by the rappelling spring 24. A very fine fit of the belt width
is therefore obtained with a fast, discreet and simple operation.
In particular circumstances, for instance after a meal or in a sat
position, i.e. when one's waistline increases sensibly, a fast and
discreet loosening of the belt can be obtained by exercising pressure with
the fingers, as previously described, on tappets 25, 26 to free the plate
14 and the buckle 7. As a result of the pressure of the individual's
waistline on the belt, buckle 7 then spontaneously distances itself until
it reaches its position of maximum distance. In this position, a tooth 28
located at the extremity of serrations 17, 18, which is higher than the
other teeth, blocks against ratchets 21, 22 even when those are in a
retracted position, i.e. when tappets 25, 26 are pressed upon.
The spring 24 is a helical spring. Its tallest dimension, in the
longitudinal direction, i.e. the diameter of its coils, is at least equal
to half the tallest dimension of the tappet in the longitudinal direction.
This last dimension is the diameter of the circular transversal section of
tappets 25, 26, which have a cylindrical shape. The diameter of this
circular transversal section of the tappets is 5 millimeters.
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